The NotAvatars
by jammythewerewolf
Summary: It wasn't long ago that the air nomads were wiped out, and the avatar has disappeared. Somewhere near the north pole, a group of kids find a strange looking girl who seems to have amnesia. And so it begins; the quest to make a difference, no matter how small.
1. The girl with the rabbit Part 1

When she awoke, her first thought was to wonder why she was upside down. The thought soon passed, however, as she stood up and took in her surroundings. There was snow everywhere, and little else. She shivered.

It struck her as strange her mind should be so empty, so she attempted to collect her thoughts. To her horror, she was able to recall very little. she knew her name was Naomi; that this was a place she had never been before. The bag lying by her feet wriggled, and a hairy, brown rabbit wriggled out. It stared at her with bambi eyes. This was her pet, Kanon. Apart from that; she remembered nothing.

Naomi scooped up Kanon and the bag, and began walking. The snow bit at her face, and Kanon snuggled close, looking for warmth. The whole world seemed like a dream; there was no way any place could be as desolate as this. She continued walking, determined to find somewhere to shelter at least.

To her immense bewilderment, a group of trees swam into focus on the horizon. Naomi began to run, eager to check if they were a mirage. They were not, although they were small and spiny. She sighed, dumped Kanon on the ground, and slumped against one of the least- spiny trees. She had no idea what to do now. Base instinct told her that in this cold, with no food or water, she could not hope to live long. Of course, she could eat Kanon, and snow, but the thought repulsed her. The rabbit was the one thing- the one _friend_ she had.

Drowsiness crept up on her. She stood up immediately, and began walking again. To sleep now would be a very bad move. She must walk, and keep walking. She knew she had gotten here somehow; there must be people somewhere nearby.

The fishing had not gone well that day. Although they had managed to catch a few fish, it was not enough to last. They knew that they had to go out again the next day. As the three water tribe kids trudged through the snow, they wondered how much time they would have in future months to spend fishing. So much was going to change. Henka was moving up to the next level in water bending, whilst Amak was secretly carving a betrothal necklace he intended to give to Sura.

Suluk shook his head, and dragged his feet through the snow. He had mixed feelings about Amak and his sister. He tried to push the doubt from his mind, but it kept coming back, amidst fears he was losing his friends. Henka elbowed him in the ribs, and he was brought back to earth with a jolt. Henka grinned, and for a moment, Suluk's fears disappeared.

Suddenly, Amak shouted out.

"Over there! Someone's walking alone."

Suluk and Henka turned in amazement. Sure enough, they could vaguely make out a blurred figure in the distance, struggling against the bitter wind.

"Should we... go help them?"

Queried Suluk, feeling slightly nervous. After what happened to the air nomads, he knew how dangerous it was to approach a stranger, no matter how innocuous they may seem.

" I think so."

Replied Amak.

"They're alone, and struggling. If they were fire nation, you can bet they would be better prepared."

"I hope you're right."

Muttered Henka, nervously. With that, they set out to meet this mysterious person.

"What is she wearing? Hey! You really have no fashion sense."

Naomi was startled to see three kids wearing blue coats heading towards her. She was frozen to the spot, although that remark from a girl with hair covering her face put her a little more at ease. She noticed the other two give the speaker a funny look. Embarrassed, the girl giggled awkwardly.

"Um, hey. I don't suppose you know where we are, do you? My mind's a blank."

The three children just stared at her, until the tallest poked her in the arm with a fishing spear.

"Definitely not water tribe. Not fire nation either. Nor... from anywhere. I'm suspicious."

He pulled such a funny expression, that Naomi had a hard time trying not to laugh. At that moment, Kanon poked her head out of the bag she was carrying, and the kids jumped back in shock.

"Hey, relax. she's just a rabbit. Look, I just want to know, where am I, and who are you?"

"Seriously?!"

The boy who poked her stared in disbelief.

"You mean you can't tell? I mean, with all this snow around it's pretty obvious."

Naomi shook her head. The other boy cleared his throat and spoke.

"We're from the northern water tribe. I...I'm Suluk, and these guys are Amak and Henka. What about you? Where are you from?

"Well, I'm Naomi, and this is my rabbit Kanon. I don't remember where I'm from. Or anything much."

She waited whilst they took it in. After a while, Amak said,

"Well, if you don't remember anything, it'd probably be ok if you came back to our village. Maybe your Grandma would know something, Henka."

The girl nodded, and almost instinctively, the four of them headed across the blank landscape towards the village.


	2. The girl with the rabbit Part 2

As they walked, Henka made an attempt at conversation.

"Why is your hair all yellow? Are you sick?"

The comment sounded so funny for some reason. Naomi giggled and said,

"No. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be like that."

There was an awkward silence.

"So... Um... I'm a pretty good water bender, you know?"

Naomi looked blank. Henka face-palmed.

"Oh yeah sorry. It means I can do this-"

With a sudden movement, a jet of water shot up from the very snow beneath their feet. Henka spun around, and the water followed, like a liquid streamer. Suddenly, it struck Amak on the back of his head, and he muttered something about bending with shark vipers. Naomi gasped.

"Wow! You're _magical_ and pretty!"

"He he... why thank y... Wait a minute. what did you mean by 'pretty'?

"I'm sorry..."

She laughed.

"I thought that was something every girl liked to hear. I know I do."

For a moment, Henka didn't reply. And then, with a sickening feeling, Naomi realized her mistake.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's alright. happens a lot. But if I was a girl, I wouldn't be able to water bend like that, or go fishing. The rules kinda stink really."

Naomi blinked, and frowned.

"Yeah. Sounds like it. Hey, if you don't mind me saying, I still think you're pretty. Ah... you know what I mean. Not trying to be offensive or anything."

"Thanks."

To her immense surprise, he blushed. Then, Amak's voice came from in front.

"Hey! would you two love birds shut up for a minute? We just arrived. Naomi, welcome to our humble home."

It was a small, simple village, but even so, it was very beautiful. There were sealskin tents all around, and on the perimeter of the village was a thin ice wall. The people who had been sewing, or gutting fish looked up in wonder as they entered. Naomi tried to ignore the whispers, but it was hard to ignore the little girl who rushed up and hugged her leg. Quick as a flash, the girl opened the satchel-bag, and squealed in delight as she caught sight of Kanon. Seconds later, her mother dragged her away.

"... Well, let's find your grandma."

Said Suluk.

"She'll know what to do about this."

They walked to the other side of the village, and approached one of the tents. Amak and Suluk waited outside.

"Grandma...?"

Henka hovered nervously at the door of the tent. The old woman inside looked up, and smiled toothlessly.

"Hello, Henka. I had a feeling you'd come visit today. Why don't you come on in, and introduce me to your friend?"

A strange feeling settled in Naomi's stomach. She had been out of sight; how did the old woman know of her?

Henka entered, and she followed, unsure. There was something she could sense about her which seemed unusual.

" Well, Grandma, this is Naomi. Amak, Suluk and I found her and her rabbit trying to cross the snow. She doesn't remember anything. We were wondering if you could see something."

"See something? Hmmm. Come closer, Naomi."

Naomi did as she was told. The old woman grabbed her wrist, and after a short while, began to laugh.

" You are from very far away. Although your strange appearance remains a mystery, I can detect the earth kingdom within you. I saw a glimpse of a place. It looked like the future, but I can't be sure."

"Thanks, Grandma."

Henka turned to leave.

"We should probably go ask the chief if she can stay. See you soon."

"Don't forget to bring me back some nice sea prunes when you can!"

"Yes, Grandma.

"Keep up with that water bending!"

"Yes, Grandma."

" You be careful, young man!"

"_YES_ Grandma."


	3. The girl with the rabbit Part 3

"We should probably go ask the chief if Naomi can stay. You guys coming?"

Amak and Suluk made hasty excuses. Henka watched them go with a sigh. It wasn't as if the chief was deliberately scary; there was just something intimidating about him. you really did not want to get on his bad side. No one ever had of course; but that was besides the point. A part of him felt slightly miffed that the others felt they could leave this to him.

The chief's hut was the only building in the village, and it was made of ice created by the village's three water benders, one of whom was Henka. It had taken the best part of a week to perfect. He and Naomi trudged over to it.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Henka cleared his throat, and knocked politely on the wooden door. After a second, it was opened by an huge, oldish looking man, holding a strange looking koala-otter hybrid. Kanon poked her head out of Naomi's back again, and sniffed the animal in greeting. The animal responded with a huge yawn.

" Umm Chief Seok? My friends and I found this girl- Naomi- on our way back from a fishing trip. We were wondering if she could, you know, maybe if it wasn't too much trouble... stay in the village for a while?"

"Stay in the village? STAY IN THE VILLAGE?!"

Henka flinched and prepared to run.

"Of course she can stay! There's nowhere else to go after all. You're quite harmless, aren't you?"

"Uh.. yes Mr chief sir. Is that a trick question?"

He laughed, and the entire hut shook. The koala otter jumped down onto the floor and slid into the wall. Kanon watched, a mischievously gleeful look on her furry face. The strange creatures fur bristled; it hissed, and Kanon hid her face in Naomi's hair.

"RonRon, be nice. Well, there's no tricks, I promise. Now, where we are, is one of the southernmost villages of the northern water tribes. We're quite a way away from the main city, so we do our own thing. But we still have customs which must be upheld. Are you prepared to do that?"

"Uh sure."

Naomi glanced from side to side. The chief smiled.

" Very good. Now, this is an important question. Are you a bender?"

"I beg your pardon?"

There was a silence. Then she remembered, and not for the first time felt stupid. Flushing with embarrassment she replied;

"Oh. right. No, I don't think so. I've never actually tried though."

"Ah, good good. no need for that. Why don't you go take a tour of the area. Henka, you'll show her around, right?"

He woke from a daydream with a jolt, and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure thing! Hey, for the time being, you can stay with me, Dad and Grandma. That'll be so awesome! One warning. though. Grandma snores. Loud."

Naomi laughed, and Kanon squirmed in her arms.

"Yeah, it would be great to stay with you!"

She was feeling genuinely happy, and there was not one person she had met who didn't seem nice, but at the back of her mind she was bothered by something. Henka had mentioned that if he was a girl, he wouldn't be a bender, and the chief seemed to think a girl bending was out of the question. This seemed a tad unfair. Naomi hoped the rest of the culture wasn't so sexist.

"Oh, that reminds me. Before you leave, take these sea-prunes to your Grandmother would you? She really is a wonderful lady."

Henka nodded and took the strange fruit. The chief opened the door to let them out, a soppy expression on his face.

When they were safely out of ear shot, Henka pulled a face.

"Eeew, old people love... Oh, yeah. Right. Deliver prunes, give tour. Come on. I guess there's a lot to get through today."


	4. Kanon's new friend Part 1

Things had been going pretty well for Naomi in the northern water tribe, and although she had committed some terrible faux pas, Henka had covered for her. She was very grateful for that. Over a little time, She began to feel integrated, But although she wore the same clothes, did the same things, and for some reason spoke the same language they did, she couldn't shake the feeling she didn't belong.

The people of the village seemed nice enough. Sometimes she played with the young children. They were loud, but well meaning, and remarkably accurate shots when it came to snowball fights. Also, she hung out with the boys she met that first day, although Amak and Suluk seemed a little too serious. Henka always tried to get them to lighten up, but they seemed preoccupied by something. This was slightly worrying.

Everyone seemed afraid of the chief, which puzzled Naomi. Every time she saw him, he would smile, wink, and give her a sea prune. Sea prunes were totally disgusting. But she tried not to show she thought that.

There were three water benders in the village, and two healers; Henka's grandmother was training one of the little girls. She was a spiritual lady, who seemed to know things about people. It was more than a little creepy, but she seemed ok. Naomi wondered at her accuracy. Was she really from the earth kingdom? Certainly, from what she had heard it was possible. Perhaps. Who knew.

Two of the water benders were Henka and his father. Sometimes, Naomi would watch curiously as they trained. She felt an itching in her fingers to give it a go, but she didn't know how, and felt it would be a bad idea to ask to learn. That was the worst thing about this place, she supposed. Though she still remembered little, she did know equal rights had a big place in her heart.

In the evenings, She and Henka would sneak off together, and he would tell her what he knew about the world. It seemed this was the only society where girls were forbidden to bend. That was just her luck. When she remarked upon this once, Henka replied that not everyone was a bender anyway. This was true, but it somehow seemed less important. When he noticed her thinking along those lines, Henka would hastily change the subject, or do something stupid, and she would forget all about it.

Kanon had also had a busy time. It had been difficult at first, to avoid being eaten, but eventually she too had been accepted, if reluctantly. There were no other rabbits in the vicinity, so she had been forced to spend time with that awful koala otter, RonRon. RonRon disgusted her. He was very rude; no manners at all. He snored, he burped, he slurped shellfish, and worst of all, he _stared._ He would gape at Kanon for minutes on end, as if he'd never seen a creature like her before. Kanon detested being stared at.

"Yes,"

Kanon had decided. she much preferred the wolf. He was polite and kind, if a little effeminate. But that, she supposed, was still rather sweet.

When they first met, she had been rather frightened by him; after all, wolves usually ate creatures like her. But he was just a cub, and seemed disinterested in food. He'd flattened his ears and wiggled his tail,in a gesture of friendship and play. Kanon figured she'd no better way to kill time, so the two of them had played together under the bright full moon, the starlight twinkling in the snow. After a while, all the worries of being eaten disappeared. She knew she had made a friend.


	5. Kanon's new friend Part 2

Namecall Kanon. What is wolf namecall?

He considered the question for awhile, head tilted to the side. After a time, he replied somewhat sheepishly,

" Wolf no namecall but wolf. Always and never."

"Ok, wolf. Kanon understand."

She wiggled her ears, took a step forward, and sunk deep into the snow. As quick as a flash, the wolf picked her up in his mouth. At first, the rabbit thought he was helping her up, but then ran away across the snow, taking her with him. Kanon tried to struggle and kick, but he payed no attention. Perhaps he would have said something reassuring, but he couldn't speak with a mouth full of rabbit. After a while, she saw the futility in trying to get free, and realized he was taking her somewhere. She tried to work out where, but it was impossible.

The scenery rushed by, and more and more trees appeared on the horizon. The area they were in soon became a forest, and the wolf found it necessary to duck and dodge the branches. Kanon felt a little sick at all the movement, but when she tried to tell the wolf, he didn't reply.

At long last, he put her down on the snow. They were now very deep in the forest. A cold wind brushed past the trees. It seemed almost ethereal, as though they were close to a special place. It was a very odd feeling. The wolf seemed to be acting differently too. There was some unspeakable joy, which was evident in the way he moved; a kind of suppressed anticipation.

"Where is this?"

The wolf just smiled. Which was odd, since usually, wolves can't. Kanon began to feel a little afraid. It was cold, and they were far from the village. If this wolf ate her, or something bad happened, they would never find her. She was paralyzed.

All of a sudden, The wolf howled. It was a howl like no other- in fact, the sound was more like a human's singing voice. The little rabbit cowered in the snow, ears flat, and waited for the end.

It did not come.

When she next looked up, she was greeted by the face of a beautiful silver-white fox. The fox nudged her to her feet, not unkindly.

" This is wolf's mother. Mother, this friend, Kanon."

" It is very nice to meet you on this night. It is my favorite night of the month, don't you think?"

When she received no answer, she continued.

"The full moon reminds me of home. The stars are my sisters, servants of the moon spirit, Tui. They watch over the skies whilst she is in this world."

The fox turned, jumped onto a tree stump, and settled down comfortably. As she turned, Her six tails became visible, shining in the moonlight.

"So, you are a friend of my son? Oh I'm sorry- by the look on your face I can assume you've never met a spirit before. Well, my name is Arufa. I am a kitsune. I can assure you I mean you no harm."

Kanon struggled to compose herself. It was true; she had never met a spirit before in her life. Before that day, she had had no idea they really existed. She wondered briefly if the humans knew, and decided they probably did. She nudged the wolf and the fox gently with her nose, to show that she was no longer afraid, and that she was their friend. The wolf responded by wagging his tail again, before running off.

"He wants you to follow him."

Smiled Arufa, with a swish of her tails.

"There is much to see here. You and your human will always be welcome to visit this place, on the night of the full moon."


	6. Under the Ice Part 1

"Come on! There's such a lot to do today. Isn't it exiting?!"

"Mfpllllhmer...?"

Naomi couldn't tell what time it was, but she knew it must be early. Henka was shaking her awake, with a stupid, forced looking grin on his face. Behind him, she could see his father, Katsuo, rushing around, trying to get things packed. There was no sign of his Grandmother; Naomi assumed she had gone for a walk or something.

"Whats going on...? I'm tired."

" We told you yesterday. This is the one day of the year we can go under the ice! We need to be there early, _so get up!"_

He said this in a kind of sing-song voice, but there was a dangerous edge to it, making Naomi think she should probably get up after all. This she did, not unreluctantly.

"It's early. 'T's still dark..."

Henka made an odd sort of growling noise.

"It's winter. It's ALWAYS dark."

Naomi frowned, and walked over to him, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"And why are you so grumpy? This isn't like you at all!"

He made an attempt at a reassuring look, and failed.

"Sorry. Today's a big day for me. Being a waterbender is a huge responsibility when you go under the ice..."

All of a sudden, he shuddered, uttered a sound like a frightened mouse, and ran out of the tent. As the sound of his footsteps grew fainter, Naomi began to feel a little concerned. She felt Katsuo's hand on her shoulder. He smiled sadly, and stared at the ceiling.

" Don't worry about him. Today is important. If all goes well, we get a good supply of mussel squid for the winter. The village's entire safety relies on us waterbenders, so naturally, he's a little nervous. But I know he'll do great."

"I know, right!?"

Henka ran, desperate to find somewhere he could get some last minute practice done. Although boys were supposed to be brave, he knew exactly what he was. Terrified. And he wished that there was someone he could talk to. His father had been understanding, but even he thought it was something he would soon get over. Naomi knew nothing of bending, and although she was nice enough, was too ditzy to rely on. Master Yuu? That was a joke. Henka was so scared he could cry.

He knew what had started this. He had been so terrified of having failed to save Naomi- and he barely knew her. Even though she had been fine, the thought continued to haunt him. And now, in the winter of his sixteenth year- the first year he was obligated to help protect the others with waterbending when they went under the ice- he was terrified of the prospect of failing, which he knew was only too possible.

His subconscious led him past the chief's hut- there were voices inside. they both sounded suspiciously familiar.

"Akira, I'm an old man. I figured there's something I need to tell you, whilst there's still time. You're an amazing lady, and I would like to spend the rest of my life with you.

" You silly old walrus yak. I have known for a long time. You forget my gift of reading people. But I am flattered. And I feel the same."

Oh no. Old people flirting. Ick. Even worse- it was his Grandma and the chief. Henka glanced from side to side, working out how to retreat. He took a step backwards, making as little noise as he could. Then, he grew braver, and was about to run when he heard something which made him freeze.

"I know you're there, Grandson. Why don't you come inside? We have a lot to talk about, after all."

Henka cringed, and gingerly entered the building.


	7. Under the Ice Part 2

" I'm sorry, now doesn't seem to be a good time, so... Uh... I'll just be on my way."

"Nonsense!" The chief bellowed happily. "Come on in!" Henka had no choice but to comply. As he entered, he nearly stepped on RonRon, who had been sleeping in the entrance. The koala otter blinked twice, yawned, and leaped out of the way, chattering.

"Now, sit down. It's fine, It's fine. Would you like some silver tea?"

Henka shook his head. He knew from a past experience silver tea was just hot water. If anything, it was worse than cold water, Which in this land, usually came in the form of shiny, white lumps. He stifled a sigh, and stared at the floor. This had to be the most awkward situation ever. The happy couple didn't seem to think so, however. They seemed quite at ease, although his Grandmother knew something was not quite right.

"Henka, I know something is bothering you. You are worried about your responsibilities today, I believe."

"Y... yes Grandma. If something goes wrong, I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself. I don't know how to explain it. But you understand... right?"

"Of course. I know exactly how you feel, I am a healer after all. In its base form, your fear is that something bad will happen and it will be your fault. Look out of the window- do they look as though they worry?"

She nodded towards the door, and Henka tentatively walked towards it. Outside, he could see a group of young children, laughing and playing. In their hands, they all held buckets- today, they would venture under the ice for the first time. They would fill the buckets with mussel squid, which they would share with their families. It was true- they had no worries.

"You see? Who knows what might happen. Something might. But it also might not. You have to take that chance in life. All these children are so exited- Naivety is not a bad thing, Henka. Just know that not everything falls down to you. Your father and teacher will both make sure nothing goes wrong."

Her words made sense, and Henka took strength from them. He smiled self consciously, and began to stand up to leave. The chief winked.

"Always take the chances you can whilst your still young enough! That's what I always say. Bwahahahaha."

The chief laughed for a good few minutes, and the boy felt his small smile turn into a huge grin. Chief Seok really was a great guy. Maybe it wasn't so weird after all, that he was in love with his Grandma. They seemed happy. And now, Henka knew- thanks to them- that he was ready to face whatever the day could throw at him. He was not going to mess it up.


End file.
